Timer for internal-combustion engines



March 25 1924. 1,488,434

Y E. F. PFISTER TIMER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed July 51 1920 t 4 /l /a I L I /0 /J' p 9 Z4 f a n g 4 4 /Z/ /1 .7 f

2 1| I 2/ Q0 /7 20 Zl Z44 /7 WITNESSES IIVVNTOR 4%. WM BY A TTORNEYS Patented Mu. 125,1924.

UNITED STATES munr. rns'rnn, or'avanr, oxnanonn.

'rnmn roa m'rnrman-comnnsnon ENGINES.

Application filed July 31,

To all inhom it may concern Beitdtnowrbthat LEMIL F. PFIS'I'ER, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Avant, in the county of Osage and State of Oklahoma, have invented a new and Improved Timer for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a descrip- Y tion.

My inv ntion relates to a timer for use with the circuit'of the spark plugs of an internal combustion engine and more particula'rlygrelates to the means for making respective conductor wires. The exposed/ external binding posts and conductor termif nals are subject to short-circuiting by oil, water, and other foreign matter, the oil resulting in the destruction of the insulation of the conductorwires. Moreover, the exposed external binding posts are liable to result in the circuit being broken by a damage to the binding'posts or wires and the disconnection of the wires.

The general object of m invention is to provide in a timer of the lndicated character, for internal connection between the contacts and conductor wires and the protection of the connection and the conductors from oil, water, etc. l

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an embodiment of the invention involving practical considerations with respect to simplicit of construction, convenience of assemb age and durability.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, it being understood that the drawings are merely illustrative of one example I of the invention.

Figure 1 is a' rear elevation of a case and insulator assemblage partly broken away. and in section;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section thereof as indicated by the line2-2, Figure 1;

Bi re 3 is a separate perspective view of the interior insulating unit, part being broken away.

In carrying out'my invention in accord- 1920.' Serial No. 400,432.

ance with the illustrated example a casing 10 1s provlded which in practice, is cylindrical as is usual in timers of the 1ndicated type, the closed back 10 of the easing belng truncated as is customary The numeral 11 indicates the usual capped oil hole in the back 10", and 12, a securing arm on the casing having a hole 13 to receive a fastening screw.

In accordance with my invention I provide a lateral neck 14 on the casing 10 at one side and communicating with the interior of the casing and I provide an insulating unit designated gbperally by the numeral 15 and composed of insulating rings 16, 17, held together by any suitable means such as screws 18. The opposed faces of the rings present annular depressions jointly formin an annular chamber 19 to accommodate t 1e conductor wires A and the ring 17 adjacent .to the open side of the casing is equipped with the usual contacts 20 to p tacts 20 constituting binding posts for the exposed terminals a of the conductor wires A, which terminals are accommodated in the depressions 21. The holes 17 of the ring 17 for receiving the'screws 22 are in practice countersunk as at 17 so that the heads of the screws 22 lie within the external surface of the ring 17 and advantageously in practice I employ insulator disks 23 in the countersinks 17" overthe heads of the screws-22.

To make the outer end of the neck 14 water tight I provide a sleeve 24 of rubber or equivalent waterproof material, the front beaded end 24: of which slips over the neck 14 while the oppositeend 24 is contracted andti htly embraces the flexible covering B of ti of'the wires A.

With the described arrangement the in- 1e conductor cable composed inner side of said ring element 17.

said ring 17, the exposedterminals 0 are inserted in'the depressions 21, the contact plates 20 being finally engagedby the screws 22 to insure contact of the plates with the conductor terminals. Theexposedterminals a may be twisted about the shanks of the screws 22 in a manner to insure electrical connection between said terminals and the screws and contacts. The two rings having been fastened by the screws 18 the insulating unit 15 is placed within the housing 10 and the slack is taken up in the conductor cable, the closure sleeve 24 being afterwards connected with the neck 14.

It is to be noted that in my improved case and insulator amemblage the ring, element 17 of the unit 15 or that'element adjacent to the open side of the casing 10 is equipped with the contact plates 20; and that annular chamber 19is at the back or Also, it will be observed that there is a close contact between the opposed surfaces of the ring elements 16, 17 at the inside and outside of the chamber 19 so that said chamber is closed fluid tight by said ring elements 16, 17. The result of the arrangement referred to is that oil supplied to the interior of the unit to lubricate the revolvin element of the circuit closing means wi 1 not find access to the chamber 19 and to the insulation of the conductor ,wires in said chamber. The conductor wires lead from the cable through the waterproof closure sleeve 24 and neck 14 and through a side aperture 19 at the juncture of the rings 16, 17, said aperture communicating with the chamber 19.

The ring element 17 car ying the contact plates 20 forms the attaching and supportin" member for-the conductor wires and the mating ring element 16 constitutes a cover plate for the conductor wires in the tuiit.

With the described arrangement it will be seen that the conductor ends and their exposed terminals as well as the binding posts are all housed in the casing 10 and protected by the insulated unit 15 so that no water or oil can find access to the conductor wires and their terminals and no damage by. external objects can be done to the connections.

A distinctive result of my improved timer is that it is more reliable in maintaining the conductor connections intact under all conditions of use. In practice with timers of the indicated type, the surface of the unit 15 wears down more rapidly than the contact plates 20 thereby interfering with the uniformity of the circuit-closing action, and with the described construction said rings 17 and 16, if need be, may readily be renewed while the conductor wires A will not need to be renewed.

v I would state in conclusion that while the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do the first-mentioned section against the side formed with said annular groove to tightly closethe same, said annular groove communicating with said neck and said outer casing by means of a passage-way formed between the two sections adjacent said neck.

2. A distributing cap for timers or tion apparatus comprising an outer casing an insulating block arranged within sai outer casin said insulating block being annular and formed into two sections, one section comprising an annular groove in one of its sides, the other section tightly closing said groove and formed with recesses in its inner circumference, in which recesses are arranged distributing contacts, means holding the two sections tightly together, mean for removably holding the block in the casing, said block having an opening communicating with said annular groove, said annular groove being adapted to receive a plurality of distributing conductors passing through said opening, the terminals of said conductors being fastened to said contacts.

3. In adistributing cap for timers or ignition apparatus, an annular insulating block formed into a pair of sections removably held together, one of said sections having an annular groove in the face adjacent the other section, said other section having radially-extending openings and a recess at the front of each 0 ening in the inner circumference thereo, a distributing contact arranged in each recess and a screw for each radial opening holding said contacts in place, there being a conductor connected to each of said contacts embedded in said annular groove and therein pro te'cted against frictional contact or moisture.

' EMIL F. PFISTER. 

